Dan and Dawn Leslie

Nothing quite hits the spot like a good cup of coffee. For Dan and Dawn Leslie of Dan’s Truckers Blend Coffee in Big Pond, it’s all about the freshness. 

“Freshly-roasted beans are the key,” says Dan. “About a week after coffee beans are roasted, the flavour starts to change. It no longer tastes fresh to me. That’s why we don’t keep a big inventory of roasted beans. We roast based on demand, so it's always fresh.” 

Like the brand name implies, Dan spent many years in the trucking industry. He was born in Glace Bay, but went down the road at age 15 and ended up in Ontario driving trucks for a living. A few years ago, he and his wife Dawn moved back to Cape Breton, settling eventually in Big Pond where Dan continues to operate a freight-forwarding business. 

But Dan always had a passion for coffee, and while on vacation in Costa Rica, he met with some growers and experienced first-hand what fresh coffee smells and tastes like. Upon returning home, Dan bought a personal roaster and began importing beans. Eventually, he graduated to a commercial roaster and Dan’s Truckers Blend Coffee was born. 

“When we were creating Dan’s Truckers Blend, we talked to many friends in the trucking industry and asked them what they wanted in a cup of coffee,” says Dan. “We had assumed ‘lots of caffeine,’ but the answers we kept getting were ‘fresh and flavourful,’ so that’s how we designed our blend.” 

Dan credits his wife Dawn for coming up with the idea and flavour profile of Cape Breton Trails, a medium-roast blend that celebrates the Island’s famous trails, and provides a way for visitors to remember their time in Cape Breton after they have returned home. 

Dan and Dawn now import most of their fresh coffee beans from fair-trade growers in Honduras. They sell bags of whole beans, ground coffee, and Keurig cups online and at a series of retail locations throughout Cape Breton.

See the list of local retailers HERE

CONTACT DAN

• Email
  
  [email protected]
• Phone
  
  902-631-3262